Procera AVH

Procera AVH is a more conventional take at a brain supplement, especially judging from its overall packaging and look. Procera AVH (with the A, V, and H standing for its ingredients) is just one in Procera Health’s line of brain supplements, which focuses more on memory, mood, and brain health. What we find interesting though is that the whole Procera Health brand itself is staying away from the edgier designs that new brain supplements seem to be adopting… this is very evident in their products’ packaging and their website.

Perhaps this decision was to cater to an older demographic. All the pictures you see on their website are of old people smiling (because why wouldn’t they be smiling?). After all, I’m sure your mom or dad probably wouldn’t want to use something with a name sounding like FOCUS BOOST or Biohack.

Speaking of their website, it’s very informative. You can probably spend a few hours reading on so much information about their products, as well on some articles regarding the brain. Included is a pretty detailed FAQ section, as well as some brief descriptions on the ingredients used and what they do. It was also really nice to see a supplement facts label on their website… something we don’t see too often in this industry anymore.

“Since 2006, Procera AVH has helped thousands of people jumpstart their memory and their mood. This breakthrough nutritional supplement is a booster shot for the brain—a bit like a new set of sparkplugs.”

The manufacturers seem to have employed a very “bare-bone” ideology when it came to the formulation of Procera AVH. That’s the thing you will notice almost immediately: it only has three key ingredients, which makes the formula quite potent.

So many manufacturers today seem to just want to include more and more ingredients in their formula, not thinking this will decrease the potency of their supplement. The users almost always suffer in this regard as companies will usually have to compensate for this by increasing the daily recommended serving, driving the price higher.

On the other hand of the spectrum, however, is Procera AVH. It’s only got three ingredients, making it very potent… but one must beg the question if the manufacturers have gone too far here too. These three ingredients are major nootropics, but will they be enough to get the job done? Then again, perhaps that’s why Procera AVH is only supposed to be working on your mood and memory.

Key Ingredients:

Acetyl L-Carnitine: The “enhanced” version of Carnitine that has not only shown to aid fat burning, but also offers potential benefits to the brain due to its ability to cross the brain-blood barrier. It aids in the production of acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter responsible for memory, learning, problem-solving ability, and general cognition.

Huperzine A: A natural supplement that is known to increase the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain. It has in many studies shown effectiveness in improving focus and clarity, while also having positive effects on memory and the storage of information in the brain. Due to the nature of the supplement, its effectiveness reduces when taken continuously, and so should be cycled off for 1-2 days every week.

Vinpocetine: Derived from the periwinkle flower, Vinpocetine is a powerful vasodilator, which helps increase blood flow. In studies, it has shown very positive effects for people suffering from mental ailments, and have even shown improved general cognition for people taking it over an extended period. Vinpocetine improves memory and learning as well, most effectively when used in combination with Huperzine A.

While we really like Procera AVH’s potency, we think that the manufacturers might have just gone a little overboard in this case. We would love to have seen the addition of Ginkgo Biloba or perhaps even Panax Ginseng. Nevertheless, the ingredients are substantial and Procera AVH is still a solid formula… however, it might be better used as a ‘base’ for a nootropic stack.

Rating: 16/20

Effects and Benefits

A handful of us at the office decided to test Procera AVH over the course of a month. The effects were very subtle and would easily be missed if you aren’t paying attention. From day one, the majority of us didn’t really feel anything with Procera AVH. I noticed no issues with brain fog. Overall, the effects were very subtle.

It wasn’t until at least the second or third week on Procera AVH before we could actually notice a ‘difference’.

Finally, Procera AVH also had a minor effect on mood. Everyone who gave it a shot could say that they felt generally great when on Procera – some woke up fresh, positive, and ready to start the day.

Rating: 18/20

Potential Side Effects

In our month’s experience with Procera AVH, we did not notice any adverse side effects, except from one of our reviewers who noted mood swings. We weren’t able to pinpoint the reason for that, but if something similar happens to you, we recommend coming off of Procera AVH for a couple of days and then trying again on a slightly lower dosage.

Also please keep yourself well hydrated when on Procera AVH.

One more thing: since Procera AVH contains Huperzine A, you will need to cycle it off for a couple of days every week to maintain the formula’s effectiveness.

Rating: 18/20

Pricing Options

A box of Procera AVH costs $39.99, with a recommended daily serving of three capsules. Please note though that since the box only contains 60 capsules, you are going to run out in around 20 days’ worth of usage. This isn’t bad at all if you consider the fact that you need to be off Procera AVH for at least 1-2 days every week, but even then, you still aren’t going to make it to day 30. Furthermore, a lot of other manufacturers seem to be able to squeeze 30 days’ use out of their supplements – either by having 60 capsules 2 per day, or having 90 capsules 3 per day – so we were a little disappointed with Procera here.

If you really want to think about Procera AVH’s 30-day price (since that’s the only way you can compare Procera AVH with all the other products we’ve reviewed), it’s actually closer to $60… which isn’t really too expensive, until you consider the fact that there are really only three ingredients. Premade nootropics like Procera AVH were made for convenience, but seeing that there are only three ingredients, you might be better off buying powders and mixing your own. It’ll be so much cheaper and wouldn’t take that much time to do if just 3 ingredients.

Rating: 17/20

Online Reviews

Online perception on Procera AVH is quite mixed. While there are a number of good reviews out there, the negative ones that we’ve read are quite alarming: things like the company not acknowledging their money-back guarantees, shady marketing tactics, and lawsuits.

User Review by Sonja Hans on Amazon.com

I have been using Procera since it first came out and I saw in advertised on television many years ago. I do not use it daily…..I use it only when I need it —- take it a few days and then get back off of it. It does work. When I get to the point I can’t remember where I put the last thing I picked up….that’s when I start taking Procera again. It really does work on me and is a great memory booster.

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User Review by 777 on Amazon.com

I dont know if it works or not. I only tried it for 2 months and I didnt notice anything. I suppose if you took it along time it might do something but I tend to think it is a placebo. The one thing I will say is that customer service was good at giving a refund. Personally I think you would be better off learning how to eat right and get some exercise rather than looking for a magic pill.

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User Review by Jeffrey Labowski on Amazon.com

I’m a master’s student, plugging through endless papers / lectures. Gave this a product a try hoping for a boost in my focus, alertness, and awareness. At $54 I assumed this was going to be a product of quality and most of all legitimate. I assumed wrong. I’ve been taking it now for over three months and so far I received no noticeable benefit.

Rating: 15/20

RECAP:

Positives

Available through a number of different online retailers

Simple formula makes it great for beginners

Good as a base for a stack or a topping

Negatives

Doesn’t do much aside aiding memory

Many other options that are more well-rounded in effects

Poor value compared to price

Many negative reports on company’s business practices

Our Verdict

While we believe their manufacturers had a good idea when they set out to make Procera AVH, they went a little overboard. Trying to increase potency by decreasing the number of ingredients, they effectively reduced the list of ingredients so much… that they’re now coming off as a little cheap. Procera AVH’s formula is pretty simple and if you’re just going to buy this one, we would rather you just buy individual supplements or powders and just mix them. It will be so much cheaper too.

We would like to have seen Ginkgo and Panax in its formula, as that might have made it more well-rounded overall.

Overall, Procera AVH is a reasonable product, but not much else. There are hardly any side effects (at least from our tests), but we can’t fully recommend it because of its price, considering that there are better out there for cheaper.